AU601093B2

AU601093B2 - Space frames

Info

Publication number: AU601093B2
Application number: AU27451/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Edwin Thomas Codd
Original assignee: Harley Systems Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Harley Systems Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1988-01-22
Filing date: 1988-12-23
Publication date: 1990-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-23
Also published as: AU2745188A

Description

V, N 6 09 j^ COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 Name of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventor Address for Service COMPLETE SPECIFICATION HARLEY SYSTEMS PTY LTD 10 Shettleston Street Rocklea, Queensland, 4016

AUSTRALIA

Edwin Thomas CODD GRANT ADAMS COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 9 NATIONAL MUTUAL CENTRE 144 Edward Street BRISBANE QUEENSLAND 4000

AUSTRALIA

FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: SPACE FRAM.ES The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

1 1' THIS INVENTION relates to space frames.

Although space frames of double-layer flat square grid type are well-known and widely used, other configurations of space frames are preferred or required in certain applications. For example, a space frame of domed or barrel-vault form may have an outer layer or sub-frame of contingous triangles and an inner layer of hexagons. In the outer layer, then, six chords lead from a node, or common apical piont of six contingous triangles, and in the inner layer three chord lead from each node or common point of three contingous hexagons.

S The nodes of outer and inner layers are inter-connected Sby oblique web members or struts.

0 00 o 0° Alternatively, the outer and the inner layers PC 15 or sub-frames of a space frame which is of double-layer °o flat type, instead of domed or vaulted form, may also be o o o. o built up of contingous triangles and/or hexagons, the nodes of the two sub-frames being interconnected by oblique struts.

The present invention has been devised with 0 Oo the general object of providing a space frame which may 0D be of any of the foregoing types, and it resides broadly S in a space frame of the type having at a node: o0 a first set of three chord members converging in substantially equiangularly spaced relationship; a second similar set of three chord members; and a set of strut members with flat terminals adjacently located to each other; wherein: each chord member terminates in a flat attachment plate, its extremity mitred for co-planar convergent interfitment of the plates;

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each flat terminal is oblique to the main part of its strut member and is mitred for close adjacent co-planar interfitment; the first set of chord members have their attachment plates superimposed on those of the second set of chord members, the six chord members at the node being spaced at equal angles; and the flat terminals of the strut members are secured, in superimposed relationship, with the attachment plates, by bolts or other connection means through the attachment plates and flat terminals, the a connector means interconnecting the strut members to the o chord members.

0o 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 00 a 6( D:, S 1 411y 4, 7 of a secnd similar set sc that the s-chords at thenode are spaced at equal an ljich are bisected by a like number of members, the adjacent terminals of -whi: ar mitrod- to 60°. Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:- FIG.1 is a plan view of the contiguous ends of a first set of three convergent chord members, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the contiguous ends of a Ssecond set of three convergent chord members, FIG. 3 shows in plan view the two sets of chord o, 0 0 members, their extremities in superimposed relationship, 15 FIG. 4 is a plan view of a completed node comprised 0000 0o of the two superimposed sets of chord members connected to each other and to a set of oblique strut members, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of a completed node according o 20 to a modification of the invention in which three 0 0 convergent chord members are connected to each other.

SReferring initially to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the 0""a drawings, a first set of three chord members 10 meet at 0 oo angles of 1200, and a second set of three chord members 10a also meet at angles of 1200. Each of the chord o members is of steel tube which at each end is flattened so to form a shoulder 't 11 defining the inner end of a flat end plate 12 the outer extremity of which is mitred at an angle of 1200, and is formed with two bolt holes i 1 30 13.

When the flat end plates 12 of three chord members or 10a are brought together in co-planar relationship, the mitred edges of contiguous end plates are brought together, the chord members are at angles of 1200 and the six bolt holes 13 are in equally spaced II 3 C A/I A>'3 16,d relationship and equally spaced from the common junction point of the three end plates.

as shown in FIG. 3, the two sets of chord members and 10a are superimposed, those of the second set being angularly displaced by 60° relative to those of the first set, the bolt holes 13 of the two sets being so disposed that they are then brought into register.

The node is completed, as shown in FIG. 4, by the addition of six oblique struts 14 and the rigid interconnection of all the parts. Each of the struts 14 is of steel tube of lesser diameter than the chords and 10a, and each is flattened at each end to form a 0 shoulder 15 defining the inner end of -a flat terminal 0 ,9 plate 16 oblique to the axis of the main tubular part of 15 the strut 14. The terminal 16 is mitred to an angle of 00990 0B 600 and is formed with a single bolt hole. When the a 9strut terminals 16 are superimposed on the assembly of sets of chord members 10 and 10a, the mitred edges of the terminals 16 are brought together, and their liolt o* 20 holes are brought into alignment with the bolt holes 13 0 o« of the chord members end plates 12, so that the whole assembly may be rigidly interconnected by bolts 17 passed through the aligned bolt holes and engaged by nuts 18.

It may be preferred to reinforce the node by the use of hexagonal load distribution plates (not shown) positioned under the end plates 12 of the second set of chord members 10a and over the adjacent terminals 16 of the struts 14, the load distribution plates being formed 3 30 with bolt holes to accept the bolts 17.

The node described and illustrated is applicable to a first sub-frame of chords 10 and 10a arranged as contiguous equilateral triangles, the second sub-frame of the structure being in the form of contiguous hexagons, the struts 14 interconnecting the nodes of the two sub-frames.

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In the second sub-frame each node is, as shown in FIG. 5, at the convergence of three only chord members and so the superimposition of two sets of these chord members is not required, and a single set suffices. To such a node too, three, not six, of the struts 14 are convergent and so the terminal plates 19 formed at these convergent ends of the struts are mitred for adjacent interfitment and formed with two bolt holes, similarly to the end plates of the chord members, and with such modification as is consequent upon the lesser diameter of the struts. Again, six bolts 17 serve to interconnect rigidly the three chord members 10b and the three struts 14 of the mode.

In the space frame, all of the struts 14 may be similar, all the chord members 10 and 10a of the first o 0 sub-frame may be similar and all of the chord members a, l 10b making up the hexagons of the second sub-frame may be similar. At each node, of either sub-frame, the parts are firmly held together six bolts and nuts.

20 Consequently the space frame wi±l be found to be simple a"o" and economical to manufacture and erect.

Although space frames according to the embodiment herein described and illustrated will be found to be oDe<* effective in achieving the objects for which it has been devised, it will, of course, be understood that many modifications of constructional detail and design, which ao* o will be readily apparent to skilled persons, may be made within the scope of the invention hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A space frame of the type having at a node: a first set of three chord members converging in substantially equiangularly spaced relationship; a second similar set of three chord members; and a set of strut members with flat terminals adjacently located to each other; wherein: each chord member terminates, in a flat attachment plate, its extremity mitred for co-planar convergent interfitment of the plates; each flat terminal is oblique to the main a° part of its strut member and is mitred for close 15 adjacent co-planar interfitment; the first set of chord members have their a attachment plates superimposed on those of the second S° set of chord members, the six chord members at the node being spaced at equal angles; and the flat terminals of the strut members are secured, in superimposed relationship, with the ao attachment plates, by bolts or other connections members through the attachment plates and flat terminals, the S.connector means interconneting the strut members to the 25 chord members.

2. A space frame according to Claim 1 wherein: the equal angles between the six chord |C \Asec-e<\ I members at the node by six oblique strut members.

3. A space frame according to either of the preceding claims wherein: the chord members are of metal tube with ends, at the node, flattened and mitred to 120° to form the flat attachment plates.

4. A space frame according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: the strut members are of metal tube with ends, at the node, flattened to form the flat terminals and mitred for close adjacent co-planar interfitment.

A space frame according to any one of the preceding claims wherein: substantially hexagonal load distribution plates are located adjacent to the attachment plates and the flat terminals and secured by the connector means.

6. A space frame including nodes substantially as herein described with reference to FIGS 1, 2, 3 and 4.

7. A space frame including nodes substantially as herein described with reference to FIG 5 of the accompanying drawings. I DATED this twenty-eighth day of May 1990. 0 1 S 5 HARLEY SYSTEMS PTY LTD j 'i By their Patent Attorneys GRANT ADAMS COMPANY r